How Building in Public Can Accelerate Growth and Trust

Why Building in Public is Worth Your Time

Imagine creating a product while sharing your journey, triumphs, and even mistakes with the world. That’s building in public—a transparent approach to startup growth that lets your audience ride shotgun as you figure things out.

Why should you care?
Building in public helps you:

• Attract early adopters and loyal fans
• Gain authentic feedback faster
• Build credibility in your niche
• Create meaningful connections with your audience

For early-stage startup founders, it’s a strategy that combines growth, branding, and product development into one cohesive effort.

Let’s dive deeper into how to make it work for your startup.

What Does Building in Public Mean?

At its core, building in public means sharing your startup’s journey openly—through social media, blog posts, newsletters, or videos. It’s about exposing the process behind the product, not just the polished results.

This transparency resonates because people crave stories, not just products. By sharing the highs, lows, and lessons, you humanize your brand and foster trust.

It’s not just for solopreneurs or indie hackers. Companies of all sizes, from scrappy startups to mid-stage ventures, are embracing this mindset.

Key takeaway: Building in public is not about boasting success; it’s about documenting the journey and inviting others to join.

The Benefits of Building in Public

1. Generate Buzz Without Spending a Fortune

Traditional marketing can be expensive and impersonal. Building in public offers a cost-effective alternative by generating organic buzz. Your audience follows your journey because they’re curious, inspired, or invested in your progress.

Example: ConvertKit, an email marketing tool, grew its user base by openly sharing revenue milestones, setbacks, and decisions. This approach resonated with creators, helping them scale faster.

2. Build a Feedback Loop

Feedback is essential for any startup, but waiting until launch can be risky. Building in public creates a continuous feedback loop, where users and supporters can validate or challenge your assumptions in real-time.

Example: “We’re considering adding Feature X. Would this solve a problem for you?” Simple prompts like this can help you prioritize what actually matters.

3. Create a Community

Humans thrive on connection. By sharing your journey, you cultivate a group of like-minded people who root for your success. This community isn’t just a cheerleading squad—they become your beta testers, early adopters, and evangelists.

Pro Tip: Treat your community like collaborators, not just consumers. Recognize their input and make them feel part of the journey.

4. Attract Talent and Partners

Transparency is a magnet for like-minded individuals. Whether it’s a co-founder, team member, or investor, people want to align with founders who are open, thoughtful, and approachable.

5. Accelerate Learning

Mistakes are inevitable in startups. Sharing your missteps publicly forces you to reflect and learn faster. Plus, you might get advice from your audience on how to avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

How to Build in Public (Without Overwhelming Yourself)

1. Choose the Right Platform

Not all platforms are created equal. Focus on the one where your target audience hangs out:

• Twitter/X: Great for concise updates, threads, and discussions.
• LinkedIn: Ideal for professional audiences or B2B startups.
• YouTube: Perfect for explaining complex ideas or documenting progress through video.
• Newsletters: A direct line to your most engaged followers.

2. Define Your Goals

Before you start, ask yourself:

• What do I want to achieve? (e.g., user acquisition, feedback, or brand building)
• Who am I speaking to? (e.g., customers, fellow founders, or potential investors)
• What metrics will I track? (e.g., engagement, email signups, or preorders)

Having clear goals ensures your efforts are focused and measurable.

3. Decide What to Share

You don’t need to bare your soul or spill trade secrets. Focus on topics that align with your goals and resonate with your audience:

• Product updates
• Roadblocks and how you’re addressing them
• Revenue milestones (if comfortable)
• Insights or tools you’ve found valuable
• Lessons from failed experiments

4. Be Consistent

Building in public isn’t a one-time event—it’s an ongoing commitment. Consistency builds trust and keeps your audience engaged.

5. Use the Right Tools

Streamline your efforts with tools designed for transparency:

• Public Roadmaps: Tools like Trello, Notion, or Floumy let you share your progress visually.
• Social Media Management: Tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can help you schedule updates and track engagement.
• Surveys and Feedback Forms: Tools like Typeform or Google Forms make gathering audience input easy.

Common Myths About Building in Public

Myth 1: Competitors Will Steal My Ideas

Reality: Execution matters more than ideas. Building in public helps you move faster by validating assumptions early, leaving competitors playing catch-up.

Myth 2: You Need a Big Audience to Start

Reality: Start small. Even if only 10 people engage with your posts, that’s 10 people you didn’t have before. Consistency will grow your audience over time.

Myth 3: You Have to Share Everything

Reality: Transparency doesn’t mean oversharing. Share what’s relevant, valuable, and aligned with your goals.

Advanced Tactics for Building in Public

1. Leverage Storytelling

Data is boring; stories are engaging. Frame your updates as narratives with a beginning, middle, and end. Highlight the stakes, the challenges, and the resolution.

2. Share Teasers for Upcoming Features

Build anticipation by giving your audience a sneak peek of what’s coming next. Use visuals like wireframes, screenshots, or mockups to bring your ideas to life.

3. Host Live Sessions

Host live Q&A sessions or webinars where you discuss your journey, answer audience questions, or gather feedback. Tools like Zoom, Twitter Spaces, or YouTube Live make this easy.

4. Collaborate With Other Founders

Cross-promote your journey by engaging with other founders who are also building in public. This creates mutual exposure and expands your reach.

Real-World Examples of Startups Building in Public

1. Figma

Before becoming a design juggernaut, Figma shared early builds and sought feedback from designers. Their transparent approach created a sense of ownership among users, fueling adoption.

2. Indie Hackers

The platform itself is a product of building in public, with its founder, Courtland Allen, sharing the journey of creating a community for bootstrapped founders.

3. Nomad List

Founder Pieter Levels openly shares revenue, product updates, and even his personal struggles. His transparency inspires others and demonstrates the power of public accountability.

Challenges of Building in Public

1. Vulnerability

Sharing failures and setbacks isn’t easy. It requires thick skin and a willingness to be judged.

2. Time Commitment

Consistent updates can be time-consuming, especially for solo founders. Batch content creation or repurpose updates across platforms to save time.

3. Balancing Transparency and Privacy

Finding the right balance between openness and protecting sensitive information can be tricky. Decide upfront what you’re comfortable sharing.

Embrace the Journey

Building in public isn’t just a marketing strategy; it’s a mindset. It’s about forging connections, learning faster, and creating a community that’s invested in your success.

Ready to take the leap?
Start with one post. Share a challenge, an update, or even a question. Invite your audience into the process, and watch your startup—and your confidence—grow.